Talking to My Tenant About Noise

Talk to your tenant about keeping the noise down.

As a landlord, you must enforce rental apartment noise nuisance policies if your tenants are violating them, especially in a multi-unit property. Not only is excess noise an irritation to others, it can actually cause people's health to deteriorate, according to the World Health Organization. Learning about rental apartment noise issues will help you talk to your tenants about what they are doing wrong and what the possible consequences may be.

Lease Agreement

Point out the noise restrictions and enforcement when your tenants first sign the lease agreement. Your lease agreement should state that tenants are subject to state and local noise regulations. Ensure your lease agreement states the consequences of violating the noise nuisance laws, such as if tenants receive three complaints from neighbors about noise, they will be served with a quit notice. Confirm your tenant understands the impact of the noise regulations before violations even becomes a problem.

Local Noise Ordinances

When your tenant is making excessive noise and generating complaints from neighbors, inform him about your city's noise ordinances. Your city has specific restrictions on noise in rental units and giving a copy of that list may convince your tenant to quiet down. For example, in Glendale, California, excessive noise is considered anything above 55 dbA when measured at least 4 feet away from any wall, ceiling or floor in the daytime. Each city's ordinances will be different, so check out your own city's list and present the statistics to the tenant.

Noise Enforcement

Work with local authorities to enforce noise nuisance regulations and let them contact your noisy tenant. Depending on the city, as well as the type of noise, different agencies may be responsible. For example, in Los Angeles, the Department of Animal Regulations handles noisy animals, while the police handle noise nuisance by humans. If your tenant is making excessive noise, place a phone call to the appropriate enforcement agency and send a warning as well. This multiple approach may make an impression on your tenant to keep the volume down.

Eviction

If your tenant refuses to comply with your written warnings, and doesn't change even after visits from enforcement agencies, you may serve a quit notice and start the eviction process. Depending on the situation, you could cite "violation of the lease agreement," "substantially interfering with tenants," or "failure to comply with local ordinances." If the tenant does not leave the rental property after three days, consider discussing eviction options with your attorney.

About the Author

Jenna Marie has been editing and writing professionally since 1993. Her editing background includes newspapers, magazines and books, and her articles have appeared in print and on websites such as Life123 and AccessNurses. She specializes in writing about parenting, frugal living, real estate, travel and food. Her nonfiction book was published in 2008. She earned a Bachelor of Science in journalism from Utah State University.